title: The effect of serologically defined major histocompatibility complex haplotypes on Marek's disease resistance in commercially bred White Leghorn chickens.
abstract: In commercial pure white leghorn lines, A, B, and C, the effects on resistance against a virulent strain of Marek's disease virus were assessed for B19 and B21 haplotypes of the chicken major histocompatibility complex. B haplotypes were identified by direct hemagglutination using alloantisera raised against erythrocyte antigens. In homozygous B21 female chicks from lines A and B, mortality upon challenge with virus was 16% and 9%, respectively; in B19 chicks, mortality was 42% and 60%, respectively. Intermediate mortality was observed in heterozygous B19/B21 birds. When line A and B hens were crossed with B15/B15 or B5/B19 cocks from line C, differences between B19 and B21 were significant only in the progeny from B5/B19 sires. Therefore, it was concluded that selection for major histocompatibility complex-associated disease resistance markers may be useful only when B haplotypes complement each other in commercial line crosses and when interactions with genetic background do not severely obscure the differential haplotype effects, as are observed within pure lines.
authors.affiliation: Agricultural University, Zodiac Institute, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Blankert
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Albers
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Briles
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vrielink-van Ginkel
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Groot
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: te Winkel
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Tilanus
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: van der Zijpp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D002645:Chickens; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000276:immunology*; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000235:genetics; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex / Q000276:immunology*; D008380:Marek Disease / Q000276:immunology*